Fred Rogers’ Sons: What Happened To James Byrd Rogers And John Rogers

May 25, 2020 12:32

Fred Rogers was a beloved TV host and a puppeteer adored by children and admired by their parents. His TV program for kids called Mister Rogers' Neighborhood helped him to earn a number of awards and a lot of respect. But what do we know about his own children: James Byrd Rogers and John Rodgers?

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John Rogers and James Byrd Rogers’ bio

Fred Rogers met his future wife, Joanne, when he transferred from Dartmouth to Rollins College. Their story is a classic romance: they met, they fell in love, and they got married. Joanne was Fred’s one and only love and they had 2 children together: sons John and James.

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James “Jim” Byrd Rogers is the TV legend’s eldest son. He and his younger brother made a few appearances on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood when they were kids but adulthood was not an easy time for James.

Most teens rebel at some point, even if their father is just as kind and loving as Mr. Rogers, and James was not an exception. As it was stated in People, Fred was not shy to talk about his troubled son. He said:

He’s flown the coop. There’s real hostility.

Apparently, when James followed in his dad’s footsteps and started his education at Rollins College, he found the time as a young student very difficult so he stopped returning his worried parents’ calls.

He just wanted some time off from his family to discover what kind of person he wanted to become outside of his father’s image. Fortunately, Fred and Joanne took the right approach and allowed their elder son to take a break and have some “time for himself.”

Fred Rogers' son opens up about his childhood: "It was difficult to have the second Christ as your dad. Living up to a legend such as he was challenging. I had my issues with that. But at about age 30, I sort of came to peace with it" https://t.co/jwsxEK8i7W pic.twitter.com/LY4peIcQTD
— LAT Entertainment (@latimesent) June 12, 2018

James Byrd Rogers’ brother, John, acted very differently. On the contrary to James, he showed real devotion to his parents and traveled 40 miles a day from his prep school to be able to stay at home.

Luckily, the wayward son came back to the family nest. James even returned to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as an adult with a very special guest, his own son. But what does he do now?

What does James Byrd Rogers do for a living?

We don’t know exactly what James has been up to. He is now in his 60s and leads a life away from the spotlight. He contributed to the documentary about his father Won't You Be My Neighbor, released in 2018, but other than that, he remained in the shadows.

There is no information about James Byrd Roger’s wife but he has a son, who probably has his own family by now. After Fred’s passing, James retreated to live a life as a family man.

Even though his occupation is unknown, James Byrd Rogers’ net worth allows him to live comfortably. Celebrity Net Worth reports that Fred Rogers’ fortune was $3 million, which he likely divided between his 2 sons.

The new generations of Fred Rogers’ family have been quietly enjoying their “normality” away from the spotlight but they are making sure that Fred Rogers’ legacy will never be forgotten.